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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Product Strategy SMART Goals |  Product Strategy Counter Metrics |  Engineering Goal Question Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. | When goals are formulated too generally, it brings measurability, direction, and timing into shape. It prevents intentions from staying without clear verification. | When a headline metric could mask side effects, it adds guardrail signals against unwanted outcomes. It connects customer value, product logic, and decision priorities. The result is captured as a counter-metric list and guardrail definitions. | Helps clarify technical problems, hypotheses, and next steps in concrete terms. It breaks a technical problem into testable parts. The result is captured as a GQM table and metric briefs. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 15-30 min | 30-60 min | 90-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-8 | 2-6 | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | SMART Goal, Measurement Note, Deadline | Counter Metric List, Guardrail Definitions | GQM Table, Metric Profiles |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | GoalsPlanningMeasurementAlignment | MetricsMeasurementStrategyExperiments | MetricsMeasurementEngineeringAlignment |